She recommends wearing pants or skirts that no longer fit (due to weight gain) unzipped and/or unbuttoned and pulling a long shirt or jacket on over it to cover the gap. In what universe is this a valid fashion strategy?? Really? This woman is a stylist?There is nothing new here. There's a whole lot of whinging about her lost youth, the waning of her (former model) looks and the dissolution of her marriage. She needs a trainer, and a real editor. You will learn more about style for women 40+ in one quickly perused issue of More magazine than you can ever find here. I've noticed that the overall rankings of fashion & beauty books are among the lowest of any genre on my bookshelf: that is to say that even the fashion books I love and swear by get really horrible reviews and low rankings from other readers.Is this because readers are afraid to admit that as average women, they're not millionaire fashionistas? Or is the opposite true -- they feel they can dispense better advice about personal appearance?This book's strong points are that it's full of great quotes and advice from both seasoned fashion designers and clients of Ms Gross. You'll find at least one saying to pin to your closet door.The illustrations are great, too. Often a written description of an outfit doesn't make sense until you have a visual image, and the quirky, colorful drawings here are fun and spirited.Other people I know (and who's reviews I've read below) complain about "The Alien" Ms Gross calls her stomach -- I agree that was a little weird. And the sometimes-conflicting advice (wear a short skirt -- no, don't wear short skirts!) works against credibility. But I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more of her writing.
This book was repetitive, whiny, and geared towards women over fifty. I did not find it worthwhile.
—jennyctoth
a fun afternoon read, parts well written. she is upbeat positive funny
—Jessie
Interesting advice copied from the most prestigious magazines.
—meme11193
I learned nothing from this book!
—booboo95
ok, some good info.
—Baylay
